


Brothers Always Know

by Unquiet_Words



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-10 00:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17415182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unquiet_Words/pseuds/Unquiet_Words
Summary: Their brothers come home for the holidays, and Tobirama laments their loss of personal time together - until he finds he doesn't have to anymore.





	Brothers Always Know

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yetanotherauthor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yetanotherauthor/gifts).



> A little late for a 'Christmas' story, but it's still cold out so 'tis the season I guess.

The snow had come late this year. Hardly a single flake had drifted their way throughout the whole first month of winter, though the creeping chill had been warning enough that it was on its way. It hung heavy about their garden now, glowing in the dim porch light that send their shadows reaching towards where the koi pond used to be.

Their shadow, rather. It was impossible to distinguish one from the next, pressed as they were to each other’s sides, a comforter pulled around them more for Hashirama’s sake than his own. He was still shivering despite it, one arm wrapped around him while the other hand gripped a thermos as if it alone could stave off winter.

They were playing with fire, of course. But playing brothers as of late had left Tobirama fidgety, and he couldn’t imagine how antsy the same had left Hashirama. His brother had always been the more tactile of the two of them, something that came across heavily in their love life. He could hardly go an hour without some form of physical contact, whether it be as simple as a brushed hand, or his more usual habit of leaning against him like his little brother was all that held him up from the ground.

Having their brothers over for the holiday had been both a delight and a test of patience. Especially so considering they’d spent the whole weekend in the now-guest room. And if the lack of personal time during the day hadn’t been bad enough, Tobirama had had to relocate to his childhood bedroom to keep up the facade.

Only platonic interactions during the day, and alone in separate futons at night. Tobirama wrapped an arm around his brother’s waist to tug him closer, keeping an ear on the bustle in the kitchen while leaning in, brushing his lips against the skin just under his brother’s ear.

They couldn’t do anything, of course. Not out here in the open, not with their brothers just inside the house. That didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun, didn’t stop him from nibbling on his brother’s ear just to feel him shiver from something other than the cold.

Hashirama’s hand was warm when it landed on his own, though he couldn’t quite tell if it was to stop him from moving it across his thigh or to encourage him. Either way, he didn’t seem ready to complain when he ghosted his fingers over his lap, excitement like electricity in his spine at the near inaudible gasp it earned him.

It was only harmless teasing. Light touches. Something to take the edge off while they could, while Kawarama busied himself baking away in their kitchen with Itama’s enlisted help - brotherly instincts told Tobirama he should’ve questioned further why he’d shooed the two of them off so forcefully. Now, however, he couldn’t see a single downside to the situation, watching Hashirama bite his lower lip, watching his eyes flutter closed when he pressed just a little firmer into him.

For most of his life, Tobirama hadn’t understood the appeal of sex. Getting himself off had been more of a chore than anything else, more something he  _had_  to do than  _wanted_  to. Sexual encounters with others had been few and far in-between, most of which ending before they’d really begun since he had so little interest in them. Even with Hashirama the first year had been rather dry, their couplings not at all  _unwanted_  but still something he found little actual _need_  for.

He wasn’t entirely sure what had changed that. They had both been shocked the first time he’d pounced his brother for a change, Hashirama fresh out of the shower with his fuzzy pink robe and bunny slippers, a floral towel wrapped around his hair to keep it from trailing water all over the hardwood flooring. He had looked absolutely ridiculous and every bit the fool that he was, and Tobirama had found him irresistible in that moment and many since.

Whatever had changed, it seemed to be worse as of late, leaving him insatiable. Dignity kept him in check most of the time, but he found it mattered less and less as his patience wore thin. And it was certainly thin now, with Hashirama squirming next to him, a hand running down his back to palm at his rear.

“Tobira.”

In a not-so-rare moment of cruelty, he decided to fully grip him then, hiding his smirk in the crook of his neck when it made him jump.

“Didn’t feel like wearing undergarments today, Anija?” Sweats were hardly a fashion statement, but they definitely made some things a lot more obvious. He lifted his head to raise stare in mock exasperation.

Really, only Hashirama could manage to pout so pitifully with someone stroking him. “I didn’t wanna do laundry...”

He could help but roll his eyes, giving his cheek a quick peck as he nuzzled up close, easing his grip to feather-light once more. “They’ll be gone tomorrow evening. Think you can wait til then?”

_“No.”_

As much as he understood the sentiment, it was hardly the time or place for such things. One of them had to be the responsible one, no matter how they both wanted to continue, and no amount of light tugging on his wrist would make him change his mind.

He brought his hand up to cup his brother’s cheek, pulling him down to rest their foreheads together. “Have patience, Anija.”

“ _I_  should have patience?” The wide-eyed look was near comical, made all the better by his terrible stage whispering. “ _You_  touched  _me_!”

“I did.” He probably shouldn’t have been so smug about that. But it was hard not to be, knowing how easily he could rile his brother up with a simple touch.

“Otouto, you’re such a  _tease_.” Hashirama sulked even as he was pulled into a brief kiss, only stopping when Tobirama nipped at his jutting lip. He’d make it up to him, of course. Thoroughly. It would simply have to wait until their brothers went home themselves.

As if the thought alone summoned them, heavy footfalls coming their way cut  their private moment short. They scrambled into a more socially acceptable position, and as Itama slid the door open to join them, Tobirama could only think of how glad he was his hand hadn’t been down his brother’s pants.

“How can you two even  _stand it_  out here?” Itama flopped himself down between the two of them with his usual lack of grace, his pointy elbows jabbing into the both of them before he manage to situate himself into a comfortable position under the comforter. He was quick to snatch both of their arms up to tug them closer, his violent shivering more exaggeration than anything else.

It earned him little more than a sharp pinch to his side, his yelp and subsequent puppy eyes gaining no sympathy either. “If I recall, it was  _you_  who threw us out here in the first place.”

“It’s not  _my_  fault Kawa’s oven broke, you know.”

That only earned him a flat-look, though Hashirama was much more forgiving, assuring their little brother he had nothing to worry about - he had always been weak to big watery eyes and non-sincere pouts. Tobirama himself was less easily swayed, and now that he was  _less occupied_  his suspicions on why they were kicked out were left to run wild.

“Exactly what were you two baking in there anyway?”

“Aaaaahahaha, right, about that...” Itama scratched at the back of his head, making Tobirama squint even further in suspicion, watching his brother’s mix-matched eyes flicker around the garden before they snapped over to their eldest brother. “I should warn you, Kawa’s already drank most of the cider.”

The distraction worked for one of them at least. Hashirama was up in an instant, scrambling into the house and nearly falling flat on his face as he did so, a wailing plea to their youngest brother to save some cider echoing behind him.

After the door slammed and left them alone, Itama glanced back over at him, seeming to chew over some thought or another. In the end he slumped over with a sigh, dropped his head on his brother’s shoulder.

“You’re not gonna let it go, are you?”

“What were you two doing?”

Itama sniffed, his nose stuck up in the air as he answered with a short “Nothing that shouldn’t be illegal” before latching further onto his brother’s arm, determined to sap the heat from him.

Tobirama’s put-upon sigh was more for show than anything else, and they both knew it.

For a while there was a pleasant silence between them, both content to watch the next layer of snow coat the already laden tree branches, Itama sipping on Hashirama’s abandoned cocoa and occasionally snickering at the bickering that drifted from the house. Tobirama was happy enough to soak in the precious little time he had with his brother - as much as he wanted to complain about the intrusion on his love life, the truth was he had missed his little brothers something fierce. What with Kawarama’s recently discovered wanderlust and Itama’s studies, they hadn’t truly spent time together for far too long.

“I never understood why you liked the cold.” Itama drew the comforter tighter around them, pulling up his feet and scrunching his nose at the snow. “You and Mom both. Weird.”

He only hummed in response, hardly paying attention to Itama’s grumbling about his apparently inherited craziness. It was once he started to fidget that Tobirama started to pay closer attention, watching the way his brother was worrying at the frayed edges of one corner of the comforter.

“Spit it out.” His demand was accompanied by another sharp pinch, which earned him a slap and a rather nasty glare in return.

“Would you stop pinching me? You’re such a child.”

“Stop fidgeting and  _spit it out_. You’re worse than Anija.” Really, he was. Even Hashirama could manage to not be so obvious about wanting to say something. Which was sad, considering he had a habit of blurting out whatever came to his mind at any given moment.

For a minute, it didn’t look like he would. He just sat there with one cheek puffed out, scowling out at the garden and clearly debating whether it was worth saying or not. When he did finally speak up, his words were tinted with hesitation, eyes focusing back on the frayed edges he was once again worrying between his fingertips. “I know it’s none of my business, but... You know we’re happy for you, right? For both of you.”

“For what?” Tobirama couldn’t think of anything he’d done that would merit any special thought. At least not recently, anyway. It was odd that Itama would be so vague about wanting to congratulate him, too, which only furthered his confusion.

“Well, you know...” His brother fidgeted some more, keeping his eyes firmly away from his sibling. “You and Anija.”

That couldn’t be what it sounded like, but it still hit Tobirama’s gut hard. He forced his breathing to remain steady, his voice as impassive as ever despite the fear tickling at the back of his mind. “I’m not sure what you mean, otouto.”

“Kawa knows too, you know.” He felt himself pale at the words, hands clenching as his brother continued. “Not that you two haven’t been subtle or anything. It’s just... You’re our  _brothers_. It’s not like we wouldn’t notice eventually.”

His heart didn’t seem to know whether to stop or beat frantically against his rib cage. They knew. Every touch calculated, every gesture purposely platonic and accounted for and  _they had still found out_.

And what was he supposed to do? Deny it? Act disgusted by the thought, spit venom and vitriol as if that would erase the truth from existence? Pretend like it didn’t tear at his insides even  _thinking_  about denying his love for the man who happened to be his brother?

 _They knew_. And he had no idea what he was supposed to do about it.

“Didn’t you hear me?” Itama’s voice cut through the white noise threatening to overtake his thoughts, letting him focus on something other than the panic flooding his system. “I said that we’re happy for you. Everyone deserves  _someone_ , nii-san. It’s clear you love him, and he loves you, so...”

He trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders. As if his words had little bearing on the situation, like it was  _common_ to simply accept one’s siblings were in an intimate relationship with each other. Tobirama found he could only gape at him, jaw open like a dumbstruck idiot, his throat and chest tight and mind drawing a blank. He didn’t even notice the tears prickling at the edges of his eyes until Itama peeked back up at him, his little brother’s face scrunching up with sympathetic emotions.

“Oh god, you’re not gonna cry on me, are you?” He probably meant to sound more appalled, but the tone meant little with him sniffing.

“Shut up.” Sparing them both the embarrassment of watching the other cry, Tobirama held his brother close to his chest, taking a minute to relax his breathing. The snow had picked up, white creeping onto the porch, the old koi pond now filled and level with the garden. Soon the cold would drive even him inside, back to the bustle of holiday celebration and nosy little brothers, though perhaps now he wouldn’t have to hide how endearing his Anija’s antics really were to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Verklempt - completely and utterly overcome with emotion


End file.
